A frantic summer came to an end, though many of the region's short-handed sailors had not had enough and headed over to Le Havre for the Transat Jacques Vabres race to Brazil.

MacArthur switched to a multihull, Golding stayed with Ecover while Emma Richards found funds for a trimaran campaign in Pindar and Miranda Merron, another Southampton personality, raced in Un Univers de Service.

Kingfisher was sailed by Ellen's business partner Mark Turner who had not been sailing for four years.

He and Moloney fought hard but were unable to hold off Golding who achieved his best result in two years with a second place.

MacArthur took second in the multihull class, leaving her plenty of time for the frenetic round of award ceremonies that filled the final few weeks of her tumultuous year, including a runners-up place in the coveted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Had the year not ended so sadly with the news of Blake's murder, it would have been a year for unadulterated celebrations.